Board of Education News ​

​On Thursday, January 4th, the Little Siler Board of Education will be welcoming new member, Mrs. Carrie Glynn. Mrs. Glynn has been an active member of the community and has been an integral part of the Education Foundation of Little Silver. We welcome Mrs. Glynn to her new role, serving the community and ensuring the best possible education for the children of Little Silver.

On behalf of the Board of Education, we would like to thank Mrs. Stephanie Brannagan for her dedicated years of service on the Board. Mrs. Brannagan began her first term in January 2011. For the past six years, Mrs. Brannagan volunteered her time to ensure that the children of Little Silver receive a quality education. She participated in district Strategic Planning efforts. Mrs. Brannagan’s many contributions were both valued and impactful to our community. Thank you Mrs. Brannagan!

Mark Your Calendars ​for a Conversation with our Legislators

On Wednesday, January 24th, the Peninsula School Districts will host “A Conversation with our Legislators”. As our school budgets grow increasingly more difficult to manage without impacting the quality of education, there is a dire need for School Funding Formula reform.

Strategic Planning

On Saturday, February 24th, the Little Silver School District will be hosting a Strategic Plan Renewal Day to identify goals for the next five school years. This will be a full-day commitment (8:30 AM – 3:00 PM), and lunch will be served. In order to plan accordingly, interested staff and community members should sign-up to participate using the Event Sign-Up Link under the Parent tab on the district website. See: http://www.littlesilverschools.org/event-sign-up.html

Join us for our Second Curriculum Café!

Are you wondering how Little Silver teachers use technology in their instruction? Join Angie Rosen and Meredith Adams at the next scheduled Curriculum Café to learn about innovative teaching practices and resources that are preparing our students for their future. On February 22nd, 2018, at​ 6:00 PM, there will be a an overview of technology integration in the Markham Media Center. All content areas will be discussed and examples of instructional practices will be shared.

One-to-One Wonderful

Little Silver has a one-to-one ratio of students to Chromebooks for students in grades 1-8. This could not have been accomplished without the support of the EFLS and community at large. We need your continued support to maintain this initiative. The use of technological devices by this generation is simply a tool used to communicate, explore and engage in their world, and we are proud of the various ways in which staff integrates technology into the curriculum. Take a look! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfnirDzVmbM

News from the Garden State Coalition of Schools (GSCS)

During the November 15th GSCS meeting, attendees discussed the challenges for the new Governor and Legislature and received updates on the GSCS Critical Issues List for 2017-18. School funding topped everyone's agenda, with members voicing thoughts about whether the move towards full funding begun in FY '18 will continue in FY '19. Member district representatives also discussed the ongoing need for charter school reform and possible reforms in Special Education funding (including the elimination of the census-based approach to counting Special Education students).During the December 15th meeting, there was a Call to Action regarding student suicide. Recent dramatic increases in the incidence of teen and young adult depression and suicide have made addressing these issues imperative for educators, parents and everyone who cares about young people. To increase awareness and aid in the search for solutions, the GSCS printed a "Call to Action" from the Mercer County Superintendents Association. Monmouth County Superintendents battle similar challenges. Contact information for the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Hopeline is:1-855-654-6735 and www.njhopeline.com

​Each marking period, Markham Place students in Mrs. Lynch’s Technology class complete in the FBI-sponsored Safe Online Surfing test. The 5th & 7th students took the test in October. In November, the 6th & 8th grade Markham Place students sat for the safety assessment. Each month, the FBI ranks participating scores. The overall scores for each school are compared with the results of other schools nationwide with similar classroom sizes as part of a national monthly competition. Categories are determined by the number of students participating from each school: Starfish is 1-50 participants; Stingray is 51-100 participants; and Shark is 100+ participants. The 10 highest scores in each of these categories during the month can be viewed on the leaderboard. The FBI does not keep or distribute the rankings of schools nationwide. The leaderboard resets at the end of each month. During the month of November, Markham Place 6th & 8th grade participants earned the winning honors for the national FBI SOS contest in the Starfish category. Congratulations students!

Did you know that the School Finance section of the DOE website, specifically the 2017-18 State Aid section, indicates that Little Silver received an 11.25% increase in State Aid. During the 2016-17 school year, Little Silver received $321,655 in State Aid. For 2017-18 we received $357,854. That was a $36,199 increase on a $14,807,151 budget. The increase was a result of increased special education enrollment. That money will be allocated toward the 2018-19 school budget to offset expenditures. While any State Aid increase is welcomed, Little Silver’s State Aid income represents 2% of our total budget. The increase of $36,199 represents .002% of our total budget. Therefore, while an 11.25% increase looks sizable, it is relative to the base amount of the increase.

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As Superintendent of Little Silver Schools District I am committed to preparing your children for their future, not for our past. Children continue to excel and thrive when they are given opportunities to explore and learn through exceptional instruction in a warm, nurturing environment.

Mission Statement:In partnership with families and community, the Little Silver Borough Public School District is invested in continued excellence by inspiring critical thinking, fostering intellectual curiosity, and promoting acceptance of individuals, allowing children to achieve their full potential as responsible, contributing citizens of an ever-changing global community.